'I was told it couldn't be done'

The 67-year-old created the car himself – dubbed a Rover 150, a car made from two front ends of a Rover 75.

“I’ve custom built three cars but that one’s my favourite,” said Gerry.

“I finished it about three years ago and it took about nine weeks to build from start to finish.

Gerry Lloyd admitted that the inspiration for his double-ended Rover 150- named so because it has been constructed from two Rover 75s- was too much wine (Image: Oxford Mail/Jon Lewis)

“It all came about after we had friends here for dinner and after a few bottles of wine we started talking about what could and couldn’t be done with a car. I suggested the double fronted car and my friend said he didn’t think it could be done. He said even if I could, I’d never get it road- legal. It was then I decided it had to be done. I won the bet.”

To get the car road legal, Gerry had to send the car for special testing by VOSA (Vehicle and Operator Services Agency).

Stopped by police

“I get stopped by the police quite a lot, but that’s part of the fun. I used to be stopped an awful lot. It wasn’t so much about the legality of it, more the fascination.

“I love driving it to car shows, particularly on the M4. The reaction I get is brilliant. I need to get a camcorder in the back. You can see people’s brains trying to catch up with their eyes. One person told me it reminded them of the pub in Coronation Street — the Rover’s Return.”

Gerry goes to around a dozen car shows each year, from Yorkshire to North Devon and Cornwall.

“What I loved is that from a four-year-old to a 104-year-old they can all see the funny side of it.”